Apple is finally making moves in the AI world. No, not limited to its current Siri experience. While the company has so far avoided building its own chatbot and instead relied on OpenAI’s ChatGPT integration, that’s changing now. Behind the scenes, Apple is building its own version of an AI-powered search tool that could one day rival the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman report suggested.
So far, Apple has seemed hesitant about fully diving into the AI chatbot space. The company also maintained that its integration of ChatGPT into Siri was good enough. But now, the tech landscape is shifting fast. AI-powered search tools are becoming more mainstream, and users expect better conversational experiences. So, Apple is adapting, and it has quietly formed a new internal team to work on it, the report added.
Apple’s New AKI Team
Apple’s new AI group is called Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI). This team is working on what’s being described as an “answer engine.” Basically, a smarter way to get general knowledge queries answered using AI. It could improve how Siri, Spotlight, and Safari work over time. There’s even talk of a standalone app being explored.
Leading the charge is Robby Walker, a former Siri executive. After facing delays in Siri’s development, he’s now heading this new initiative to make Apple’s AI services more competitive.
Why is it important? Apple’s long-standing deal with Google, which pays Apple to keep Google as the default search engine, may be at risk due to an ongoing US antitrust investigation. That could leave Apple needing its own powerful search solution, really soon. At the same time, users are turning to AI for much more than just web searches. Hence, Apple’s move to build its own AI search system comes at the right time.
However, it must be noted that the project is still in its early stages. But it’s clear that Apple is no longer just watching the AI race from the sidelines.
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